Reading People (or, when you meet an author before reading their books)

[alanajoli]

I have several friends who enjoy writing, several friends who have self-published, and fewer friends who have been published through the traditional publishing system. In most cases, I met these folks before I read their fiction, which is always a little nerve wracking to me. If I like a person, I very much want to like their books. The anxiety begins as soon as I pick up a copy in the bookstore or the library. What if I don't like it? What will I say? Do I have to break all ties? Shanna Swendson was the first author who really made me confront my fear issues, because she impressed me so much when we met that I desperately wanted to be able to be part of her viral marketing team. :) Luckily for me, she's a great writer with books that are easy to recommend, so after about the first chapter of Enchanted, Inc., my fears were dispelled.

Lately, I've been meeting people who I know are writers through my space, live journal, and etc., which gives me an idea of whether or not I'm going to like their writing style before I actually read their books. I recently read Jennifer Lynn Barnes (jenlyn_b)'s Golden, and had the very odd experience of noticing how much one of her characters wrote like she blogs. In one scene, the protagonist goes into a rant about Central Standard Time for television shows. Whether or not Ms. Barnes feels the same way, I don't know, but it was very much the same style of rant that I love when she writes them in her blog (most usually about celebrity bangs and the tragedy thereof).

The book was excellent, and I've already told the librarian in the youth services department at my library that we really should own a copy, because I'm going to start recommending it to our patrons. From what Barnes has posted about the reviews of her newest book (Tattoo) on her own livejournal, it sounds like the critics think she's grown since her first novel, so I'm expecting Tattoo to be even better. If I actually make it out to the local Barnes and Noble, as is vaguley my plan for the day (as I want to find out if they have Into the Reach in their system yet and meet the new Community Relations Manager), I'll be picking up a copy to see for myself.

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Quick news: I got my comp copies for Departure. Hurray! They look very pretty, and I'm looking forward to seeing them displayed on bookstore shelves!

Comments

[jenlyn-b.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Golden! It must be surreal to read my blog and then my books- I put enough of myself into each of my characters that I'm not at all surprised that the voices are similar! And there may or may not be a throwaway line in Platinum about the MC hoping bangs aren't coming back in...

[eyezofwolf.livejournal.com]

I can understand your fears when you meet someone before reading their books. I have been in the same situation a couple of times myself, especially since I started going to conventions. What I have found works best is to ask someone if they want feedback before you read it, and what kind of feedback they want. I can think of one person who honestly said to me that if I didn't like it, they didn't want to know, and I just didn't talk about it. Usually though, I find that other writers want to know if you didn't like it, why you didn't like it and how you think it could be improved.

So, since I'm almost done with Feast For Crows and plan on moving on to your book next, do you want feedback? :grin:

[(Anonymous)]

I've talked about this with everyone from apprentice writers to National Book Award nominees. Usually early their careers, people want feedback as a form of validation. They want to put to rest those fears of "Am I really a writer?" and "Am I good enough?" Of course they are looking for feedback as well, but a great deal of it is feeding that more basic need of acceptance.

I've noticed that the more novels a writer gets under her belt, the less important that feedback becomes. That's not to say experienced writers don't seek and appreciate feedback of all kinds, but that the hungering after any sort of interaction with their work can be sated as it piles up.

Then again, everyone is different. I no longer offer up anything other than an "attaboy" to any of my peers unless I am specifically asked. Then I feel comfortable being honest.

Shawn